An alleged housemate of a man who travelled from the UK to Iraq to carry out a suicide bomb attack was today arrested by armed police in a dawn raid.

The 40-year-old suspect was detained in Manchester under the Terrorism Act in connection with suicide bomb attacks on US-led forces.

His housemate had travelled to Iraq on a suicide bombing mission earlier this year, Greater Manchester police said.

Around 30 officers raided the terraced house, in the Moss Side area of the city, at 5am today.

"This operation involved two suspects - one who used to live at the address in Great Southern Street before he travelled to Iraq to take part in a suicide bomb attack, and the other who was still living at the address until his arrest this morning," a police spokesman said.

The two men were not believed to be related, and were described by a police source as "associates" who had lived at the same address.

The spokesman stressed that the arrest was not in relation to any threat in the UK, but was related to "an incident overseas" involving suicide bomb attacks in Iraq.

After the raid, officers distributed information leaflets to people in surrounding houses and streets. The leaflets said the raid had followed an allegation that "an individual who once lived in the area was involved in a terrorist incident in Iraq earlier this year".

The leaflets added: "There is nothing to indicate that, at any time, there has been any threat to the community of Greater Manchester."

Two police officers stood guard at the house this morning while others patrolled nearby streets.

Neighbours reacted with shock to the police raid on the house, which is around 50 yards from the al-Furqan Islamic Centre.

One 33-year-old Iranian, who did not want to be named, said: "I think there are a couple of Arabic guys living there. I think they could have been Kurdish. They kept themselves to themselves. This is not a bad area and this is a shock."

Neighbour Andrew Holmes, 43, said: "What I heard first was 30 coppers or thereabouts making a lot of noise and kicking someone's front door in next door but one. It was a well-planned operation with a lot of police in the vicinity blocking off streets and so on.

"I knew of the man but didn't really speak to him. He kept himself to himself. I certainly didn't know him well. He was an average-looking guy," Mr Holmes added.